CNN actually ignores columnist to avoid talking about McCain-Liddy connection!

[ck4829]

On the October 7 edition of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight, CNN correspondent Louise Schiavone aired a video clip of Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Chapman criticizing Sen. Barack Obama for what host Lou Dobbs described as Obama's "relationship with 1960s radical terrorist William Ayers." But neither Schiavone nor Dobbs noted that Chapman has also repeatedly criticized Sen. John McCain for his association with the person Chapman has called McCain's "own Bill Ayers" -- radio host and convicted Watergate burglar G. Gordon Liddy -- and has written that "if Obama needs to answer questions about Ayers, McCain has the same obligation regarding Liddy." Indeed, in a post published on his Tribune blog earlier on October 7, Chapman wrote: "While Obama has gotten lots of scrutiny for his connection to Ayers, McCain has never had to explain his association with Liddy. If he can't defend it, he should admit as much. And if he thinks he can defend it, let him."

According to a search of the Nexis database, CNN has yet to mention McCain's association with Liddy during the 2008 presidential campaign -- from McCain's November 15, 2006, announcement that he was planning to form a presidential exploratory committee through October 6, 2008.*

As Media Matters for America has documented in detail, Liddy served four and a half years in prison in connection with his conviction for his role in the Watergate break-in and the break-in at the office of the psychiatrist of Daniel Ellsberg, the military analyst who leaked the Pentagon Papers. Liddy has acknowledged preparing to kill someone during the Ellsberg break-in "if necessary"; plotting to murder journalist Jack Anderson; plotting with a "gangland figure" to murder Howard Hunt to stop him from cooperating with investigators; plotting to firebomb the Brookings Institution; and plotting to kidnap "leftist guerillas" at the 1972 Republican National Convention -- a plan he outlined to the Nixon administration using terminology borrowed from the Nazis. (The murder, firebombing, and kidnapping plots were never carried out; the break-ins were.) During the 1990s, Liddy reportedly instructed his radio audience on multiple occasions on how to shoot Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents and also reportedly said he had named his shooting targets after Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Liddy has donated $5,000 to McCain's campaigns since 1998, including $1,000 in February 2008. In addition, McCain has appeared on Liddy's radio show during the presidential campaign, including as recently as May. An online video labeled, "John McCain On The G. Gordon Liddy Show 11/8/07," includes a discussion between Liddy and McCain, whom Liddy described as an "old friend." During the segment, McCain praised Liddy's "adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great," said he was "proud" of Liddy, and said that "it's always a pleasure for me to come on your program."

http://mediamatters.org/items/200810080011?f=h_latest

Take action if you want to and ask why this double standard exists:

CNN
CNN
One CNN Center, Box 105366, Atlanta, GA 30303-5366
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Lou Dobbs
E-mail: [email protected]

[Supersedeas]

1. Lou Dobbs is a GoP Tool -- About as Independent as Mitch McConnell